Fried soft shell crab with Old Bay hollandaise

Soft shell dredge

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup cornmeal

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• a few cracks of black pepper

1. First to prep the crabs cut away the face right behind the eyes, lift the flaps on either side of the torso and cut away the gills (they’re very noticeable, they look like white feathers almost), and last flip the crab over and cut off the apron (tail)

2. Preheat oil to 375f/190c

3. Combine flour, corn meal, and seasonings and whisk it together. Drop in the crabs and completely submerge and let them sit in the dredge for a few minutes to create kind of like a shell, on the shell lol

4. Fry your crabs for 2 minutes per side. Season immediately with salt and a squeeze of lemon right when they come out of the oil. Serve with hollandaise

Old Bay hollandaise

• 3 egg yolks

• 2 sticks unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp Old Bay

• salt to taste

1. Place your butter in a small pot and place it over medium heat and once it begins to melt add the old bay.

2. Once the is completely melted and begins to foam (around 200f) pull it off the heat and let it cool for 1 minute.

3. Add the egg yolks and lemon juice to a blender and begin slowly streaming in the hot butter, it should take close to a minute to stream in all the butter. Once all of the butter is incorporated, taste and adjust your salt.

4. To hold this warm I like to place the hollandaise into a container and place that container into warm water. Another option is to have a pot of hot steamy water and place a bowl on top and place the hollandaise inside of the bowl. A double boiler set up. You can also add a tsp or two of water to thin it out if it sits for too long and thickens up.

Old Bay Foam

1. To make the hollandaise into a foam there are a couple extra steps. Before you begin, I like to get a pot of water that my ISI canister can sit in comfortably and fill it with warm water. Park the empty ISI canister in there to get it warm prior to adding the hollandaise.

2. Place your butter in a small pot and place it over medium heat and once it begins to melt add the old bay.

3. Once the is completely melted and begins to foam (around 200f) pull it off the heat and strain the butter through a fine mesh sieve or through some cheesecloth. Any leftover clumps will clog your ISI canister.

4. Add the egg yolks and lemon juice to a blender and begin slowly streaming in the hot butter, it should take close to a minute to stream in all the butter. Once all of the butter is incorporated, add 3 tbsp of warm water to thin it out a hair. Taste and adjust your salt.

5. Add the hollandaise to your warm ISI canister and hold it in the pot of warm water. Prior to serving double charge.